chapter two; 

                  building a friendship

»  "I think we need a secret hand shake."

I don't answer, continuing with my work as I scribbled math equations and the answers down on the papers. SHINee was having a live chat tonight which meant I didn't have time for homework. I felt a tug on my arm, which I ignored, continuing with the math (not that I wanted to like really when am I going to EVER use pi?). Another tug on my arm and I desperately sighed, turning around to face him."Ah, Doyoon-ah. Not now, I need to finish this. SHINee is having a live chat tonight and - "

He pouts. "Is SHINee more important than me?" I stared at him, rolling my eyes. "Come on, Lisa. It'll be real quick."

Reluctantly sighing, I placed down my pencil and faced him, an amused expression on my face."What is it?"

He quickly shows me the steps, moving through the 16-step handshake. It takes a moment for me to catch on but I learn it - palm slap, back hand slap, tower fist pump, fist pump, hand glide, thumb wrestle, kissing thumbs, jazz hands, foot shake, foot shake, twirl, high five, hold hands, spread out fingers, flutter fingers and finally click your tongue while winking. It sounds complicated (and it is, believe me)but I manage to follow through.

"Okay, let's try it!" Doyoon exclaims, jumping out of his seat. "Ready?"

We attempt to. We really do! But when we reach the thumb wrestle, we're already in a giggle fit, hardly able to complete the hand glide. We reach the foot shake only to both tumble down, laughing only harder.

"You did that wrong!"

"No!" I say in between laughs. "You did it wrong!"

We burst out in another fit of laughter, laughing at nothing in particular. This was how it usually was - Doyoon and me, laughing at anything. We liked to be happy.

"Lisa! Doyoon! Are you doing work back there?" The two of us hustle to our desk by the sound of the teachers voice, grabbing onto our pencils and scribbled in our notebooks. I slowly glanced over to Doyoon who was laughing quietly which only made me giggle along with him. How fun it was to have a best friend. How fun.

» "Doyoon?" I echo, staring at him like a deer in headlights.

He nods slowly, watching me with confusion. He laughs, making a face. "Is everything alright?"

I thought about it for a while. I hadn't talked to or seen the Doyoon I knew since birth for over three years. What were the chances of me bumping into him again? Besides, I had no idea where he was, what he looked like and what kind of person he was now. In fact, it was like I never knew him at all. Sometimes, I wondered to myself if I actually knew a Doyoon but then I saw the picture of me and him together, buried in the back of my closet and knew that the friendship we have was more than real.

Well, the friendship we had.

Someone nudges me from the side, reminding me that I wasn't in my own world. I glance over to a wide eyed Bella who nods over to Doyoon who was still staring at me with a confused expression. "Oh, yes! I mean, no. No! No, nothing is wrong!" All three look at me, an awkward atmosphere drifting between us. "Um, so, yeah. Let's, uh…go…then…" I frown at myself, before nodding, gesturing to the mall exit.

The four of us leave the mall with Doyoon and Jordan already best friends, walking in front of us as they talk about what game they were playing. I listen for a moment, amused by the male mind before Bella walks up next to me, giving me a look.

"Dude, what was your problem?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, tearing my eyes off the two boys who had launched a conversation about Call of Duty.

"You were acting all weird when Doyoon said his name." She pauses. "Do you like him?"

"Like him?" I exclaim, looking at her surprised. "I hardly know him!" She gives me a look but doesn't continue so I look towards the ground, trying not to over think about things.

Sadly, I failed.

I hadn't thought about Doyoon for years. Why was it that a sudden coincidence could bring memories flooding back? I shook my head, convincing myself that there was no absolute way (LIKE NO ABSOLUTE WAY AT ALL) that this was the same person. No way. He's probably some famous actor now, working his way up the fame scale with new friends - models, singers, other fellow actors.

Why was it that I was thinking of him when he probably didn't even remember my name? Lisa, who?

"Helloooo, Lisa?"

"Hmm?" I jolt my head up, finding the same three pairs of eyes looking at me. They were already on the bus, staring at me with expectant looks. Jordan gestures for me to get on and I nod. Right. Summer festival. Right. I am Lisa Kwang and I am going to a summer festival with my two best friends and a really cute stranger. "Yes, right, I'm coming."

"Lisa, you seem really distant today," Jordan comments once I pay my bus fare and follow them down the bus. "Is everything okay?"

"Better than okay!" I exclaim, probably a little more excited than I wanted to sound. Jordan gives me a look but nods. His eyes suddenly light up and he walks beside me, slinging an arm around my shoulder.

"Guess what? Our new pal, Doyoon here, happens to like k-pop as well."

"Really?" I look at him, growing more intrested by him as the seconds went by. "What are your favourite bands?"

He looks at us, suddenly growing nervous as he fumbles with his hand. "NU'est is pretty cool. After School is nice too."

I look over to Bella, giving her a knowing look. "Pledis fan." I look back to Doyoon, expecting him to elaborate but he doesn't. Instead he gives us a wary smile, giving me permission to talk. "My cousin is a Pledis fan too. But she likes some other bands as well," I say, attempting to make conversation.

"Hey! Isn't Seventeen from Pledis?" Bella asks, pointing at me. She faces Doyoon, giving him a warm smile. "Do you know of them? They're having a fanmeet tomorrow," she explains to him. "Why don't you join us?" I agree, encouraging him to come as well.

He takes a breath and shakes his head. "I'm going there too, but I have another way of transportation. I'm going with my friends as well."

I nod, understanding that he had other friends and that we weren't his best friends. "Well, I guess we'll see you there then!"

He nods as the bus announces that the summer festival stop was next. The three of us climb off, the loud music and crowd of people welcoming us. Cotton candy stands, carnival games and rides surrounded the place. Jordan starts to brag about the time he got 800 points at the Hi Striker once as I scan the place, wondering where we should head first.

"Jordan, that's a touching story and all but where to first?" I asked,

"Let's go play some games first," Bella suggests. She looks over to Jordan and punches him lightly on the arm. "Yah, if you're done trying to impress Lisa, I'd like a stuffed animal."

Jordan grumbles as he fishes out a dollar bill, rubbing his arm as we stalked off to the nearby game stand. Doyoon falls into the same pace as I am and he grins at me. "Hey, maybe there'll be a pea pod stuffie that we can win."

I laugh, agreeing that if there was, there would be a competition about to happen.